The Chainlink

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-molly-glynn-lawsuit-...

Come on. That storm was forecast.  I was going to ride that day and skipped it due to what I saw on the radar.  People need to take a little responsibility and plan for what mother nature dishes out.  The FPD does lots of pruning, but trees fall during storms. That's why you don't go out riding in high winds. 

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I agree..suing the parks dept for 'defective' trees is a bit much.  Particularly since the tree was uprooted in a strong storm.    

I am sorry Molly Glynn lost her life in an accident.  It was a tragedy for her family, friends and fans.

Suing the park district for insufficient tree pruming will not lessen the tragedy.  A large settlement could trigger a new tragedy.

Attachments:

I agree.  Also, the plaintiff in this case is going to contend with the Tort Immunity Act.  In pertinent part:

(745 ILCS 10/3-106) (from Ch. 85, par. 3-106) 

    Sec. 3-106. Neither a local public entity nor a public employee is liable for an injury where the liability is based on the existence of a condition of any public property intended or permitted to be used for recreational purposes, including but not limited to parks, playgrounds, open areas, buildings or other enclosed recreational facilities, unless such local entity or public employee is guilty of willful and wanton conduct proximately causing such injury. 
(Source: P.A. 84-1431.) 

Mere negligence is not enough to give rise to liability under these circumstances.  The plaintiff will have to prove that the Forest Preserve District's conduct was "willful and wanton."  Convincing a trier of fact that not pruning a tree that gave way in a huge storm is willful and wanton will, in my opinion, be an uphill battle.  

It was a really bad idea for Ms. Glynn to be riding in a forest preserve under those weather conditions.    What happened to her was horrible and tremendously unfortunate.  I feel sorry for her husband, children, friends, and everyone who knew her.  She was apparently a wonderful person.  However, I take a dim view of this lawsuit, the person who brought it, and the attorneys involved.  Americans are too much about blaming anyone they can for anything they can if there may be money involved.  The Forest Preserve District cannot be expected to be the absolute guarantor of the safety of everyone who acts unwisely.      

  

My thoughts exactly.  What good can come from this?

Elwood Gruschow said:

I am sorry Molly Glynn lost her life in an accident.  It was a tragedy for her family, friends and fans.

Suing the park district for insufficient tree pruming will not lessen the tragedy.  A large settlement could trigger a new tragedy.

The news of Molly Glynn's death was very sad. The circumstances of her death are why I am very careful about my choice of routes on high wind days.

The forest preserve district is working hard to catch up on dead and weakened trees. I want to see them continue that work, for the health and safety of visitors to the forest preserves, as well as the overall health of each forest preserve ecosystem.

Some eF'ng lawyer probably came up with this hair brain idea to make some money off of the tragedy.

It was a tragic accident, to be sure, but Forest Preserves are places where we intentionally let Nature get it's wild on. That's why people like riding through them instead of on the streets but, really, sometimes you just gotta have enough sense to come in out of the rain. Big trees + big storm + big idiots = bad outcome and that is not the fault of society. This was a cascade failure and if we eliminate any of the links in the chain the problem goes away. Nature is selecting for us and she made the correct choice.

So, ReO, are you always so misanthropic or it is the wee hours?  Your "Darwinian" argument is just plain hateful.  Honestly, why would you dub Molly Glynn a "big idiot" -- did you know her personally?  I highly doubt it. What happened to her that fateful day could have happened to anyone who found themselves caught in a quickly changing weather environment.  Your "Darwinian" argument is a gutless cheap shot.

Reboot Oxnard said:

It was a tragic accident, to be sure, but Forest Preserves are places where we intentionally let Nature get it's wild on. That's why people like riding through them instead of on the streets but, really, sometimes you just gotta have enough sense to come in out of the rain. Big trees + big storm + big idiots = bad outcome and that is not the fault of society. This was a cascade failure and if we eliminate any of the links in the chain the problem goes away. Nature is selecting for us and she made the correct choice.

Hey reboot,

Let us know when you get clipped by a car and we can all go "Big Car + Fast Street + Big Idiot + No Class = Natural Selection."

curt(is) locke said:

So, ReO, are you always so misanthropic or it is the wee hours?  Your "Darwinian" argument is just plain hateful.  Honestly, why would you dub Molly Glynn a "big idiot" -- did you know her personally?  I highly doubt it. What happened to her that fateful day could have happened to anyone who found themselves caught in a quickly changing weather environment.  Your "Darwinian" argument is a gutless cheap shot.

Reboot Oxnard said:

It was a tragic accident, to be sure, but Forest Preserves are places where we intentionally let Nature get it's wild on. That's why people like riding through them instead of on the streets but, really, sometimes you just gotta have enough sense to come in out of the rain. Big trees + big storm + big idiots = bad outcome and that is not the fault of society. This was a cascade failure and if we eliminate any of the links in the chain the problem goes away. Nature is selecting for us and she made the correct choice.

I think to imply that anybody is a big idiot for getting crushed by a tree in a freak accident regardless of the current weather conditions is beyond distasteful.

+1

notoriousDUG said:

I think to imply that anybody is a big idiot for getting crushed by a tree in a freak accident regardless of the current weather conditions is beyond distasteful.

Thank you both. 

Regardless of our thoughts on the lawsuit, this is a tragedy where a person lost her life much too soon doing something we all love at a location where I have ridden a zillion times over the years. In hindsight we can all question decisions we made or decisions others made. That can include the decision to go outside and get on a bike, take legal action, cross the street, give money to somebody holding a homemade sign, eat that last piece of pizza or...label the victim. When that decision does not have the tragic consequence that it had for Molly we can take a deep breath, ask ourselves whether we learned anything and move  on.

OLB 0.1 said:

+1

notoriousDUG said:

I think to imply that anybody is a big idiot for getting crushed by a tree in a freak accident regardless of the current weather conditions is beyond distasteful.

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